Ruminations

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~Mark Twain ~*~

It's never too late to have a happy childhood. ~Berke Breathed ~*~

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~Irish Proverb ~*~

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.

Here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health:

Muscle Relaxation
Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages.

Reduction of Stress Hormones
Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone.

Immune System Enhancement
Clinical studies have shown that humor strengthens the immune system.

Pain Reduction
Humor allows a person to "forget"about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc.

Cardiac Exercise
A belly laugh is equivalent to"an internal jogging." Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises. Laughter provides a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body's ability to use oxygen

Blood Pressure
Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension.

Respiration
Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patient's who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments. http://www.holistic-online.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm